Seán O’Sullivan on life under ‘house arrest’
Sean O’Sullivan, a personal trainer, a club footballer, and father of three young boys, says while the Covid-19 crisis highlights the insignificance of sport at this time it also shows the huge part it plays in so many lives
THE arrival of Covid-19 has turned our world upside down in every way imaginable. Hundreds of thousands of people on the planet have been affected by this horrible virus and it’s difficult at times to see when life will return to normal. We are all dealing with it in our own way and depending on your own individual situation you make do as best you can.
We have a busy house here in Cromane. Our three little boys were well used to keeping us on our toes as it was, but now that they are home full time they have gone to a whole new level! To be honest, our approach during this time is to make life as happy and carefree as possible for them. Our oldest boy is in senior infants and does his extra bit of homework supplied by his teacher maybe every second day. The two younger boys are still in pre-school so it’s less structured.
The main thing for me is that they are safe and healthy. They will, please god, have plenty years in school after this thing blows over, but for now we will get by with books, jigsaws, Lego and making twenty forts a day!
On top of that we are also keeping a close eye on my parents who live next door, as they are part of the most vulnerable in our community. They are both healthy and active thankfully, but they are still following the protocols set out by our experts.
The enforced lockdown, which I felt should have happened earlier in this crisis, has obviously put major restrictions on people getting outside. We are extremely lucky to live in such a unique place like Cromane. We have beautiful strands on both sides of us all within the recommended 2km distance and it’s here we go to when the cabin fever gets too much. The boys have collected enough sticks in the past three weeks to rebuild Noah’s ark!
I sometimes think of people with kids who live in towns and cities and how hard it must be for them to keep the family functioning, but hopefully it won’t be for too much longer. People who are trying to juggle working from home and minding kids are, of course, finding these testing times also, and I know that some of my friends see the benefits of having a more structured day set out. If it works for your particular situation then do it.
Being a personal trainer also helps me focus on my own health and fitness, and it’s heartwarming to see all the different workouts being posted on social media for people to do. It’s imperative that we keep ourselves in good shape during this time and exercise is not only good for us physically but also mentally. Some people
may look at a workout online and think that it’s too difficult or too long to fit into an already busy schedule. What I would say is don’t worry about what you are doing, just MOVE! We were made to move our bodies. So if that’s going up and down the stairs at home, walking out to the end of the driveway and back a few times, or pumping the volume up on the radio and dancing around the kitchen with the kids then that’s brilliant. Just get moving!
Along with that it’s important to eat well. The temptation can be there to go for the quick and easy option but everything needs to be taken in moderation.
Sport, of course, pales into insignificance when we are in the middle of a global crisis but I’m not ashamed to say that I really miss it. And if sport plays a big part in your life, as it does in mine, then of course it’s natural to miss the things that we love. I’m still playing with my club and am missing every minute of it in these strange days. Even the small things like seeing your mates two or three times a week for training and games. We have been given individual running programs and for the first two or three sessions it wasn’t too bad. But running on your own is not easy and it gets tougher to motivate yourself every time.
I think the most difficult thing is the not knowing. Not knowing when we will pull on the jersey again. I do my runs and on the way home I’m thinking what was that for? There’s a possibility that we might not kick a ball again in 2020. I will remain positive, however, as we all have to and I’m in no doubt the GAA will have their structures in place once we get going again.
On the inter-county scene it was disappointing to see the National League cancelled. I’d like to think they might revisit that decision when the time comes to start up again. It will be very hard for teams to go straight into the Championship without having some decent preparation done. Those last few League games could be used to get squads back up to speed if, indeed, they are to play a Championship at all this year.
If you are a regular reader of my columns in The Kerryman you will also know that I am an avid Liverpool fan so I am obviously concerned that after waiting thirty years I won’t get to see them lift the League title, but again I’ll try and stay positive on that one. Of course, these are small problems when you stop and think about what people affected by this virus have gone through and are going through. Sometimes we look for a release in life and for many of us sport is that release.
The early signs in Ireland are positive though, and I think that’s a reflection on us as a nation. We will stop this thing I have no doubt, but will only do so if we are following the important guidelines set out by our public health experts and the government. They are all important but for me the big one lies in the hands of our younger generation.
We were all teenagers once and hanging out with our mates around the roads or at different houses was what we loved to do. It’s hard to tell a young person to stop doing that but they have to. The crucial thing is to tell them that it won’t be forever.
We will be able to hang out again.
We will be able to hug each other again.
We will pull on the jersey again.
Stay safe everyone.
Sport, of course, pales into insignificance when we are in the middle of a global crisis but I’m not ashamed to say that I really miss it. And if sport plays a big part in your life, as it does in mine, then of course it’s natural to miss the things that we love.